Thirty million trips to the
doctor each year are attributed to ear infections. Nearly one-third
of all children seen at doctor visits have this painful problem. In
the US, the traditional treatment for ear infection has been a course
of antibiotics. Many children with repeated ear infections have had
tubes inserted in their eardrums in order to alleviate this condition.
Dr. Schmidt's book empowers parents through a more thorough understanding
of ear infections, the pros and cons of traditional treatments and a
look at alternative treatments.

Although breastfeeding minimizes
the incidence of ear infections, many parents and Leaders will, at some
time or other, find themselves helping their own child deal with this
condition. Dr. Schmidt's book is an excellent resource and educational
tool for parents to use in their quest for answers. He begins with a
helpful basic explanation of otitis media, the technical name for middle
ear inflammation. He follows up with a discussion of symptoms, diagnosis,
treatments, complications and a global approach to otitis media.

Traditionally parents have
believed that bacterial infection causes ear infections. Dr. Schmidt
believes only a fraction of ear infections are due to bacteria in the
ear. Allergies, viral illnesses, yeast, mechanical obstruction of the
ear due to swollen adenoids or structural abnormalities, nutritional
insufficiencies, birth injuries to the head or spine are possible culprits.
He has discovered links between ear infections and dairy allergy, inhalation
of cigarette smoke, fetal alcohol exposure, the mechanics of drinking
through a bottle and day care.

More than 300 pages long,
this guide helps parents know when to call the physician as well as
how to care for the child at home. By increasing their own knowledge,
parents become more confident in dealing with this condition and consulting
with a physician about treatment choices.

Prevention is the topic of
another chapter. Prevention begins with breastfeeding. Alternative care
such as homeopathy, acupuncture, acupressure, manipulation, herbal medication,
allergy management and dietary management are also addressed.

Some mothers may be overwhelmed
by Dr. Schmidt's recommendations for dietary supplementation for the
nursing mother. These recommendations are detailed and go far beyond
the LLLI philosophy of eating a well-balanced diet of whole foods. I
hope that dietary recommendations will not discourage a mother from
choosing to breastfeed by making it seem too complicated. Despite this
concern, Healing Childhood Ear Infections is a helpful publication.

Dr. Schmidt encourages breastfeeding
for preventing allergies and strengthening the immune system. He recommends
breastfeeding for a minimum of six months but feels breastfeeding for
several years is best for the child. He states that "Breastfeeding
is perhaps the most effective means of preventing not only middle ear
infections but infections of all types." We in LLL have always
known that "babies begin better with breastfeeding." Now we
have a thoroughly referenced book, written by a physician, that tells
us why.